Category: News

Nerses Shnorhali: Great ‘pioneer of ecumenism’ in the Christian East

Kajoyan Gevork
Vatican News
May 20 2026
As he meets with Armenian Catholicos Aram I, Pope Leo XIV says Nerses Shnorhali, a 12th-century Catholicos of the Armenian Church, has been inserted in the Roman Martyrology, calling it an example of “ecumenism of the saints.”

Vatican News

St. Nerses Shnorhali was a man of great soul and a versatile, prolific mind. Because of this—and especially because of the inspired and irenic tone of his writings—his contemporaries called him “Shnorhali,” meaning “the Gracious,” or “full of grace.”

During his audience with His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church—See of Cilicia, Pope Leo XIV recalled St. Nerses, one of the most ancient and illustrious figures of the Armenian Church, and noted his recent inclusion in the Roman Martyrology.

A model of diplomacy

The stature of this mystic and theologian of the Christian East—who was also a poet and composer and died in 1173—has also been recognized by the United Nations.

In 2023, on the 850th anniversary of his death, UNESCO included him in its calendar of anniversaries of eminent figures and important events.

Nerses became Catholicos in 1166, taking the name Nerses IV, and remained in office until his death.

As Pope Leo XIV recalled, his work marks him out as a pioneer of dialogue between Christian Churches. His ecumenical openness was joined to deep humanity and a keen sensitivity to peace.

Despite the controversies of his time, he came to be seen as a model of diplomacy in the healing of religious and ethnic conflicts.

Flyer for the 2023 conference

2023 Vatican conference

In November-December 2023, St. Nerses was the focus of an international conference in the Vatican, promoted by the Pontifical Oriental Institute.

Presenting the event, one of its organizers, Marco Bais, highlighted qualities in Nerses that invite comparison with two great Western saints: Francis of Assisi and Bernard of Clairvaux.

Mr. Bais said Nerses combined “humility and dedication to the poor”—qualities he preserved even after reaching the highest office in his Church—with a “refinement of theological analysis and a great capacity for political leadership of his Church,” similar to that of the renowned French monk, who was almost his contemporary.

In September 2023, the Vatican Post Office also issued a commemorative stamp in his honor, remembering him as “an original spiritual author, deeply versed in the doctrine of his Church, with total dedication to the passion of Christ.”

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It is proposed to modernize and improve the regulation of the accreditation sector

Tatoyan Vazgen

On May 20, the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs of the National Assembly discussed the draft law “On Amendments and Additions to the Law on Certification” in the first reading.


According to the information of Narek Hovakimyan, Deputy Minister of Economy of the Republic of Armenia, the need for changes and additions is due to the planned changes in certain functions of the National Accreditation Body. The project proposes to make a number of changes and additions with the aim of modernizing and improving the regulations in the field of accreditation, ensuring its compliance with international best practices and current needs. It is expected that as a result of the adoption of the project, the clarity and applicability of the regulation of the accreditation sphere will be improved, new concepts and mechanisms will be introduced, for example: conformity assessment scheme, technical assessor. Clear procedures for appeals, evaluations, and record keeping will be established. Procedures for professional analysis of conformity assessment schemes will also be established, grounds for suspension of accreditation will be increased.


The project was approved by the committee, it is planned to be discussed during the regular sessions of the National Assembly starting on May 26.

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CP is corrupt from head to toe, looking for compromise on others

Hagop Kamalian

Kompromat is serving Turkish-Azerbaijani interests, which is what Nikol is busy with.


KP is corrupt from head to toe, he is looking for compromise on others.


Holding Erdogan’s book to one’s chest is compromising.


Recognizing Artsakh as a part of Azerbaijan by Aliyev’s order is compromising.


Refusal of Armenian Dat is compromising.


Denying the memory of the victims of the genocide is compromising.


Attacking the church is compromising.


Renunciation of the Declaration of Independence and Ararat is compromising.


Being Nikolakan is also compromised and compromised.


Former Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Eduard Sharmazanov




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Russia Wants Armenia Back in the Fold. It May Be Too Late.

Garo Vardanian
The Moscow Times
May 20 2026

By Nicholas Castillo

Years of slowly growing tensions between Yerevan and Moscow have crescendoed in recent weeks as Armenia prepares for national elections on June 7. The competition is expected to be riddled with attempts by Moscow to exert its influence.

In April, Armenia hosted the European Political Community (EPC) summit. For comparatively small Armenia, historically aligned with Russia, it is difficult to overstate the importance of a diplomatic event that brought dozens of European leaders to Yerevan. The event was especially memorable as Volodymyr Zelensky became the first Ukrainian president in 24 years to visit Armenia.

A few days later, Pashinyan skipped his usual trip to Moscow for Russia’s all-important May 9 Victory Day commemoration. Even as Armenia had begun to drift away from Russian influence in recent years, Pashinyan had continued to attend the symbolically important parade.

The next day, statements from Russian officials about Armenia became increasingly hostile. In reference to the EPC, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the meeting platformed “anti-Russian statements” with no balance provided by Armenia’s leadership. He went on to say the event was “inconsistent with the spirit of relations” between Armenia and Russia. 

Separately, Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on Armenia’s fledgling EU aspirations, saying Yerevan should hold a referendum on the issue. But, tellingly, he also remarked, “We all see what’s happening with Ukraine now. But where did it all start? With Ukraine’s attempt to join the EU.”

Pashinyan and his Civil Contract party will face off against a divided opposition field, where the frontrunners are Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan (currently under house arrest following anti-government comments) and former President Robert Kocharyan. 

Leaked documents and reporting point to extensive Russian efforts aimed at minimizing Pashinyan’s vote share. Sergei Kiriyenko, a top Kremlin official whose portfolio includes policy toward the occupied Ukrainian and Georgian territories, is believed to be heading up the effort from Moscow. In Armenia, activity by a network of Russian FSB and SVR intelligence operatives has grown in recent years. Hostile media campaigns have already been linked to Moscow and Armenian officials have claimed Russia is pressuring the large Armenian diaspora to support the Kremlin’s preferred factions.

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U.K. Sanctions Russian ‘Disinformation’ Outfit Over Plot to Sway Armenian Elections

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For Moscow, there is a clear interest in displacing Pashinyan — or simply sowing chaos in Yerevan on election day. 

Under Pashinyan, Armenia has slowly moved out of Russia’s orbit as Moscow failed to deter Azerbaijani advances in Nagorno-Karabakh. Pashinyan has forged better ties with Brussels and Washington, switched from Russian arms purchases to agreements with France and India and even set EU membership as an eventual goal for the country — although an undoubtedly far-off one. His party’s domestic rhetoric has taken a sharply anti-Russian tone, labeling opponents “Russian agents” and blaming the KGB for sowing hatred between Armenians, Azerbaijanis and Turks. 

On the other hand, opposition figures like Karapetyan and Kocharyan are viewed as more Russia-friendly. Karapetyan spent much of his career and built much of his fortune in the country. He is a dual citizen of Russia and Armenia, and maintains business interests in Russia. There is also evidence that he remains a member of the pro-Russian Lazarev Club, which aims to strengthen links between Moscow and Yerevan. Meanwhile, Kocharyan has been more explicitly pro-Russian, having stated last year that Armenia “must restore our strategic partnership with Russia.” 

For both men, the real threat to Armenia is not Russia, but Azerbaijan and Turkey. They have labeled Pashinyan a lackey of Azerbaijan and said Pashinyan will allow hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis to be settled in Armenia in the coming years. 

Anticipating Russian influence attempts, Pashinyan has requested that EU monitoring teams be deployed to Armenia, with Brussels obliging his request.

However, recent Russian influence campaigns have a mixed track record. In Moldova, while they helped nearly defeat a referendum to codify aspirations for EU membership in 2024, they failed to prevent a decisive victory for the pro-EU Party of Action and Solidarity in 2025’s parliamentary elections. In the aftermath, Moscow created the Presidential Directorate for Strategic Partnership and Cooperation. Vadim Titov, its Kremlin-appointed leader, traveled to Hungary in the run-up to the 2026 elections. Yet despite any Kremlin influence efforts, Péter Magyar’s party still sailed to a landslide victory.

In Armenia, there is reason to think Russian efforts will meet another difficult environment. Among likely voters, Pashinyan’s bloc decisively tops opinion polling. One recent poll found 33% of likely voters backing Pashinyan’s Civil Contract. Karapetyan’s Strong Armenia came in second at only 11.4% of voters, while Kocharyan’s Armenian Alliance came in third at 4.2%.

Armenia’s opposition is divided, demoralized and constrained by targeted pressure by Pashinyan’s government.  Karapetyan and several of his allies have been arrested on a variety of charges, with many viewing their arrests as politically motivated.

Armenian citizens have long reported being disenchanted with politics. However, any exhaustion or skepticism directed toward Pashinyan does not appear to be translating into support for the opposition, itself connected to the governments and projects of the past. Since Pashinyan’s high-profile Washington summit with U.S. President Donald Trump and Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev, an increasing share of Armenians actually have positive expectations for the future. Pashinyan has proved capable of attracting American and European attention and money. His long-stalled normalization program with Turkey and Azerbaijan at long last seems to be bearing fruit. 

In such conditions, the extent to which Russian influence efforts can achieve success is unclear. This is not to say the Kremlin has no cards to play in Armenia. The Moldovan referendum of 2024 showed that Russian electoral efforts abroad can be impactful if they actually use local networks to engage in vote-buying, bussing or other mobilization tactics. A decisive choice may be whether Russian officials engage in this kind of direct organizational strategy. If turnout is low in the elections, it will maximize any benefits to this kind of Russian mobilization. Still, with Pashinyan having constrained his adversaries already, it is difficult to picture the prime minister allowing such tactics to unseat him.

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Armenia Cannot Be in Both EU and Moscow-Led Customs Bloc, Putin Says

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From a long-term view, Russia still wields a great deal of economic influence over Yerevan. Russian state companies like Gazprom and Rosatom still have what amounts to a monopoly over Armenian energy and gas. Critical infrastructure, such as railroads, is likewise owned by Russian state firms — although Pashinyan has said he wishes to change this. 

At the popular level, a large share of Armenia’s public still views Russia as a critical partner, not an enemy. As with other post-Soviet countries close to Russia, the future of Yerevan’s foreign policy seems more likely to be a mixed approach rather than one that cuts Moscow off totally. 

However, the dominant trend in much of the former U.S.S.R. since 2022 is a decline in Russia’s political centrality. Except for Belarus, no former Soviet states have backed Russia’s war in Ukraine. Nearly all have sought better relations with Europe and the United States, and the once symbolically central Victory Day parades and intergovernmental meetings have faded from their past importance. Aliyev skipped the May 9 parade this year for the second year in a row without any great consternation.

The EU has poured hundreds of millions of euros into Armenia since 2020. Russia has not. With Armenia now a member of the International Criminal Court, Putin has not even visited the country since November 2022. 

Of all post-Soviet states, arguably only Georgia and Belarus have drawn closer to Russia in recent years. Having made a decisive move away from Moscow, it is difficult to imagine Armenia turning back without some drastic transformation, no matter what tactics are deployed during the upcoming elections.

The views expressed in opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the position of The Moscow Times.

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It is proposed to expand the fields of application of the electronic cash register

Jane Topchian

The purpose of the adoption of the project is to expand the fields of application of the electronic cash register and to provide the possibility of using it as an alternative to the conventional cash register. This was stated by Eduard Hakobyan, the chairman of the RA State Revenue Committee, at the session of the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs of the RA NA on May 20.


The draft law “On making additions and amendments to the Tax Code of the Republic of Armenia” was discussed in the first reading.


According to Eduard Hakobyan’s presentation, along with the technological development and the growth of digital services, there is a need to expand the fields of application of the electronic cash register, to make it an alternative tool to the regular cash register, with which it will be possible to ensure the implementation of the same functions in the easiest and most modern ways.


In particular, it is proposed to unify all the provisions related to the cash register and the electronic cash register, which will be applicable to both instruments.


It is also proposed to establish an authorizing norm by which the Government will define the technical requirements of the electronic control cash register, the procedure for its registration and deregistration, and the rules of enforcement. The spheres of activity, cases and periods when the use of an electronic control cash register is mandatory by organizations, individual entrepreneurs and notaries during sales, performing works or providing services have also been clarified.


The main reporter answered the questions of the deputies, presenting clarifications regarding the regulations established by the draft law. A reference was made to the maintenance fee for cash registers.


The draft law received a positive conclusion.

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The Commission approved the amendment of the Law “On Evaluation Activities”.

David Nargizian

In the regular session of May 20, the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs of the National Assembly discussed in the second reading the package of draft laws “On Amendments and Additions to the Law “On Appraisal Activities” and “On Amendments to the Law “On State Duties”, the adoption of which is aimed at clarifying the status of persons carrying out activities in the field, defining the standards of their responsibility and ensuring the continuity of professional training and improvement of activities. According to the initiative, the hierarchy of qualified persons, evaluators, is fixed: junior, leading and chief. Clear it is fixed which group of assessors can carry out which assessment.


Nane Ghazaryan, deputy head of the RA Cadastre Committee, said that after the first reading, a number of technical and substantive changes were made in the draft, which were implemented based on discussions.


First reading settings here.


The commission gave a positive conclusion to the amended version of the initiative.

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Things are not good. Tsarukyan commented on Pashinyan’s threats

Hagop Kamalian

If he behaves that way, then things are not good. This was announced by the leader of the “Prosperous Armenia” party Gagik Tsarukyan, commenting on Nikol Pashinyan’s recent statements regarding the cement factory.


“The latter’s behavior is due to the political situation and the awareness of losing public support. They conduct surveys, they see that the former is not there. During these eight years, they did nothing but lie and deceive. What they said was that he did not come to hand over Karabakh, he came to settle it, he came to remove a thorn from the people’s finger, to close the speedometers… The war was also a consequence of the authorities’ policy,” Tsarukyan said.


Pashinyan’s current behavior is related to concerns about the political future. 


“He knows that the end has come, and he has nothing to say, nothing to do, and no plan. I can write and sign,” Tsarukyan emphasized.


According to him, the main threats to the country today are Aliyev and Pashinyan.


“The people want reality: peace, investments, prosperous life, this is the main problem. What has a beginning also has an end,” added Gagik Tsarukyan.

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The days of joint exams are known: GTC

Garnik Zakarian

The Center for Assessment and Testing has approved the schedule for the June 2026 (Second Phase) Unified Examinations.


The exams will take place on the following days.


12.06.2026 – “Biology”, “Geography”


16.06.2026 – “Foreign languages” (English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Persian)


19.06.2026 – “Mathematics”


23.06.2026 – “Armenian language and Armenian literature”


26.06.2026 – “Chemistry”, “Russian”


30.06.2026 – “Physics”, “History of Armenians”


The list of 49 examination centers of the 2nd stage of the university entrance exams was also approved, 17 of them in Yerevan, 32 in the regions.


List of examination centers here.

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The Prosecutor’s Office found violations in the case of “Araratcement” privatization

Ani Tigranian

In response to inquiries received by representatives of the mass media, the RA General Prosecutor’s Office informs that the Prosecutor’s Office, within the framework of the authority to protect state (community) interests, studied the process of privatization of Araratcement company, which was expropriated by the decision of the RA Government No. 1465-A of September 12, 2002.


In connection with the facts containing features of an apparent crime obtained through the study, the prosecutor submitted a report on the crime to the Anti-Corruption Committee on May 5, 2026.


Based on the report, on May 7, 2026, criminal proceedings were initiated under Article 441, Part 2, Clause 5 of the Criminal Code (abuse of official or official powers or the influence caused by them, or the transfer of powers, which negligently caused other serious consequences) (section 2) and Article 296, Part 3, Clause 3 (especially in large amounts) money laundering) features.


In the basis of the report, among other detected violations, a number of circumstances related to the privatization process were included, namely:


According to the decision of the RA Government No. 690 of July 31, 2001, a tender commission was formed in order to privatize the state-owned shares of Araratcement company through a tender.
A purchase offer was submitted by the Swiss “Holcim LTD” and the English “SK.Ajikawo Group”.


In the competition held on September 26, 2001, the Swiss organization “Holcim LTD” was recognized as the winner, but on October 22, 2001, the latter informed the Minister of State Property Management in a letter that the board of directors of the organization rejected the investment program without reasons.


1465-A of the Government of the Republic of Armenia dated September 12, 2002, 317,003 state-owned shares of Araratcement Company, each with a nominal value of 10,000 drams, were privatized by direct sale to the Belgian organization “Roberto”. By point 2 of the same decision, the price of privatized shares was set at 200,000 USD.
However, the founders of the “Roberto” company were RA citizens Azat, Robert and Roman Muradyan, each of whom had a share of 250,000 Belgian francs (at that time, the euro was not yet in use). That is, the total capital of the company was 750,000 francs (equal to 18,592 euros).


Vahagn Guloyan, who is the younger brother of ex-MP Gagik Tsarukyan’s brother-in-law, ex-MP Murad Guloyan, uncle of Tsarukyan’s son-in-law, ex-governor of Kotayk, Karapet Guloyan, was appointed manager of “Roberto” company.


On March 23, 2003, 6 months after the RA Government’s decision to privatize Araratcement Company, the meeting of Roberto Company decided to appoint Gagik Tsarukyan as the sole manager of the company, without term limits.


On June 26, 2003, the Brussels court announced the liquidation process of the “Roberto” company, which ended 5 years later, on December 18, 2008.


Parallel to the examination of the proceedings, the Prosecutor’s Office continued to carry out its functions arising from the authority to protect state interests, including: on May 5, 2026, it addressed a letter to the Government of the Republic of Armenia, proposing to discuss the existing violations in the company and to implement proper administration in order to eliminate their consequences, including, for example, the expediency of appointing a temporary manager in the company.

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HRD calls for the exclusion of discriminatory and hate speech from the campaign

Emil Lazarian

The human rights defender has issued a message urging the political forces and public actors participating in the pre-election campaign to exclude labeling and discriminatory expressions in their public speech.


“The human rights defender once again calls on all political forces and other public actors participating in the pre-election campaign to exclude in their public speech any speech that labels, discriminates and spreads hatred on the basis of gender, disability (including having mental health problems), ethnicity, religious beliefs and other similar grounds,” the message says.

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